CookEat Recipe
Comacchio Eel Stew
Skin-on eel gently simmered with chunky vegetables in its own fat, finished with vinegar and tomato paste and served over dried bread.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 1 kg whole medium adult European eels (Anguilla anguilla), before cleaning, legally sourced and professionally gutted and headed, skin retained; 3 medium onions, about 450 g; 1 small head of celery, about 250 g trimmed stalks; 1 large carrot, about 120 g; 3 tablespoons parsley; Peel of half a lemon, in broad strips without white pith; About 500 ml water, plus a little more only if needed; Salt and black pepper; 1 generous tablespoon strong wine vinegar, about 20 ml; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 slices firm bread, about 160 g; No added oil or butter.
Step 2
Buy prepared adult eel from a licensed food supplier who can confirm legal sourcing for your location. Keep chilled at 4°C or colder. Ask the fishmonger to cut the skin-on bodies crosswise into 3–4 cm sections, leaving neighbouring sections joined by a thin strip of flesh where practical.
Step 3
Cut the onions, celery, carrot and parsley coarsely. Put them in a snug saucepan with the lemon peel, about 500 ml water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are nearly tender. Keep their cooking liquid and discard the lemon peel.
Step 4
In a snug heavy casserole, alternate layers of eel and the nearly cooked vegetables. Pour in the vegetable cooking liquid; add only enough extra hot water to cover the contents. Add no oil or butter. Cover and simmer very gently for about 25–35 minutes, rocking the pot occasionally instead of stirring so the pieces remain intact. Cook until the eel reaches at least 70°C beside the bone; the connecting strips may separate as the flesh becomes tender.
Step 5
Stir the vinegar and tomato paste into a small ladleful of the hot liquid, return it to the casserole and rock gently to distribute. Adjust the salt and pepper and simmer for another 3–5 minutes. Dry the bread in a low oven, about 120°C for 8–12 minutes, without browning it. Put it in warm bowls and ladle over the eel, vegetables and broth. Remove bones while eating.
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